System of train-pipe connections.



A. L. GREENLAW.

SYSTEM OF TRAIN PIPE CONNECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5,1911.

1,044,644, Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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A. L. GREENLAW.

SYSTEM OF TRAIN PIPE CONNECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1911 g k m llhlllThlD STATES PATENT QETTT LARTHUR L. GREENLAW, F MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO THE GREENLAVMANUFACTURING 00., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SYSTEM OF TRAIN-PIPE CONNECTIONS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. GREEN: LAW, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Maiden, 1n the county of Middlesex andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Systems of Train-Plpe Connections, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to train pipe connections and particularly to thedevices for connecting the train pipes that are used for the purpose ofconveying air to the a1r brakes, the object of the invention being toprovide a system that will afford ample op portunity for the connectionsto be subjected to normal strains without effecting the uncoupling ofthe coupling members while such uncoupling will be automatically andpositively efiected by any abnormal strain such as the separation of thecars.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement of parts which will be readily understood by reference tothe description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a plan of a train pipe connectionembodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents anelevation of the same in its normal position. Fig. 3 represents asimilar view of the same connection in the position the various membersassume when the cars begin to separate. Fig. 1 represents a sectionthrough one of the rotary joints, and Fig. 5 represents a transversesection of the same, the cutting plane being on line 5 5 on Fig. 1.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the draw ings.

In the drawings, 10, represent two train pipes to the end of each ofwhich is secured an elbow 11, the opposite end of which has mountedthereon a fixed member 12 of a ball and socket joint, the movable member13 of which has connected thereto a pendant pipe section 14. To thelower end of this pendant pipe section 14 is secured an elbow 15 onebranch 16 of which is horizontal and cup-shaped forming a socket memberinto which extends a male member 17 011 the outer end of which ismounted an elbow 18, the other branch of which connects with a couplingmember Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5, 1911.

PatentedNov. 19 1912.

Serial No. 625,335.

19. This coupling member may be of any well-known construction, as, forinstance, the Westinghouse coupler in general use upon steam railroads.

The two coupling members 19 lock together about the horizontal axesthereof and can only be broken by moving the members 19 about this axis20. One great difficulty found to exist in the use of this coupler wheremetallic pipe sections are used to connect the two members thereof withthe train pipes 10 is that under normal strains to which the pipeconnections are subjected the coupling members 19 are liable to be movedabout this axis 20 and cause an uncoupling or if the strain is notsuflicient to uncouple the pipe members it is liable to move the memberssufficiently to cause a leakage between the two members 19. This isobviously very objectionable and the present invention is for thepurpose of overcoming this difficulty.

Heretofore, as far as is known, the center 20 is below a line drawnbetween the horizontal axis of the rotary joints to which these couplingmembers 19 are secured. Obviously when the pipes are thus connected withthe coupling members normal strain thereon will cause the center 20 tobe raised and in so doing the coupling members 19 will be moved aboutthe center 20 and thereby cause a leakage of the coupling. Thisobjection has been wholly obviated by placing the center 20 above a linedrawn between the horizontal axes of the rotary joints 17 so that normalstrains brought to bear upon the pipe connections due to excessive speedof the train and the consequent jar of the various members attachedthereto will cause the center 20 to seek to move downwardly, therebymore firmly locking the couplers together and preventing any movementthereof which would tend to uncouple the members 19 or cause a leakagebetween the two. This result is obtained without changing the ordinarycoupling members 19 by making the elbow 18 secured to the outer endsthereof downwardly inclined so that the branch thereof which connectswith the movable member 17 of the rotary joint will have its axisconsiderably below the center 20. It is obvious, however, that somemeans must be provided whereby when there is an actual separation of thecars the strain upon the coupling members 19 will not be such as to movethe center 20 downwardly but will positively move the center 20 upwardlyinto the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, at which point thecoupling members 19 will be permitted to separate and the pendant pipes1% again drop by their own weight about the pivot of the movable member13. This positive uncoupling operation is provided for by means of aprojecting arm or finger 21 formed upon or secured to the horizontalbranch 16 of each elbow 15. This arm or finger 21 is so positionedrelative to the axis of said horizontal branch 16 that when theprojection 22 formed upon the elbow 18 rests thereon the couplingmembers 19 will be retained in their normal positions as indicated inFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The projection22 is radial to the axis ofthe horizontal branch of the elbow 18, thereby providing a means wherebywhen the cars separate and the lower ends of the pendant pipes 14 aremoved upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, theprojecting arms 21 will move the male members 17 of the rotary jointsabout their axes and thus move the center 20 upwardly in a vertical lineto the point shown in said Fig. 3, in which position the couplingmembers 19 are adapted to separate and permit the pendant pipes 1 1 todrop and hang suspended from the center of the ball joint 1213.

The rotary joint 16-17 may be of any well-known construction, oneembodiment of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings. Eachcoupling member 19 is provided with steps 23 which engage with shoulderson the opposing coupling member and prevent the center of the couplingmember passing below a lineconnecting the axes of the rotary joints. Itis obvious that the projection 22 may be extended opposite thehorizontal branch 16 and the projection 21 shortened to engage therewithwithout altering the principles of the present invention. It is alsoobvious that these projections may be diflerently positioned on thevarious members providing one is on the rotatable part of the rotaryjoint, while the other is on a fixed part of said joint, withoutaltering the principles of the present invention.

This invention is an improvement over that of another application filedby Warren A. Greenlaw on March 19, 1910, Ser. No. 550,536, and allowedFeb. 1, 1911. It dispenses with chains or other flexible members usedtherein which, in practice, have been found at times to beobjectionable, owing to their liability to becoming entangled with othermembers, thereby causing an accidental coupling.

It is believed that the advantages of the construction herein shownsimplified in the manner represented in the drawings and described inthis specification, will be thor oughly understood without any furtherdescription.

iaving thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination or" two trainpipes; a pendant pipe jointed to the end of each; a coupling member outof alineinent with said pendant pipe but connected to its lower end by arotary joint, the axis of which is horizontal, and adapted to move aboutthe axis of said joint to engage an opposed coupling member; andprojections on the two parts of said rotary joint adapted to engage eachother and positively unlock said coupling members when the earsseparate.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of two trainpipes; a pendant pipe jointed to the end of each; a coupling memberconnected to the lower end of said pendant pipe by a rotary joint, theaxis of which is horizontal, and adapted to move about the axis of saidjoint to engage an op-' posed coupling member; and projections on thetwo parts of said rotary joint adapted to engage each other therebypreventing the center of said coupling members passing below a lineconnecting the axes of said oints.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of two trainpipes; a pendant pipe jointed to the end of each; a rotary joint on thelower end of each pendant pipe;

a coupling member secured to each joint and adapted to engage an opposedcoupling member; and lugs on the two parts of said joints engaging eachother to prevent the center of said coupling members passing below aline connecting the axes of said joints;

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of two trainpipes; a pendant pipe jointed to the end of each; two coupling membersadapted to lock together; a downwardly extending elbow secured to eachcoupling member with one branch horizontal; an elbow secured to thelower end of each pendant pipe with one branch horizontal; a rotaryjoint interposed between the horizontal branches of each pair of elbows;andlugs on the horizontal branches of said elbows engaging each otherand preventing the center of sa1d coupling members passing below a lineconnecting the axes of said ios members adapted to lock together; adown;

zontal branches of each pair of elbows; and

iso

lugs on the horizontal branches of said elbows engaging each other andadapted to positively unlock said coupling members when the carsseparate.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of two trainpipes; a pendant pipe joint-ed to the end of each; two coupling membersadapted to lock together and secured to the lower ends of said pendantpipes; and rigid members extending laterally from the lower ends of saidpendant pipes and said coupling members engaging each other and adaptedto positively unlock said coupling members when the cars separate.

7. In a device of the class described the combination of two trainpipes; a pendant pipe jointed to the end of each; a rotary joint on thelower end of each pendant pipe; a coupling member secured to each jointand adapted to engage an opposed coupling memher; and a lug on one ofthe parts of said joint engaging the other part to prevent the center ofsaid coupling members passing below a line connecting the axes of saidoints.

Signed by me at 4 Post Oflice Sq, Boston, Mass, this 29th day of April,1911.

ARTHUR L. GREENLAW.

Witnesses WALTER E. LOMBARD, NATHAN C. LOMBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

